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Inside the numbers vs D.C. United

May 10, 20133:32PM CDT

Mark Followill

In contrast to Wednesday’s match against Portland that saw two teams with league-best unbeaten streaks clash, Saturday night will be a battle of good form vs. poor form as FC Dallas, MLS’ leader with 21 points hosts cellar dweller D.C. United who has earned only four points from their first nine games. We’ll be live from FC Dallas Stadium at 7:30 on TWCSN-TX. Let’s go inside the numbers for FC Dallas and D.C. United:

8: The unbeaten streak now for FC Dallas, it’s tied for third-longest in club history and a win or draw will tie the second-longest unbeaten streak. FCD had a nine-game unbeaten streak in 2011 from April 23 through June 4, a streak that ended eight days later in a scenario relevant to the next stat.

9: Previous games in MLS history between one team on at least a seven-game unbeaten streak and another on a winless streak of at least seven, which is D.C. United’s current state (0-6-1). In those nine games, the team on the unbeaten streak has won four, the team on the winless streak has won four and there has been one draw. Interestingly, FCD has been involved in a couple of these instances, most recently a 4-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on June 12, 2011 while, coincidentally, FCD and DCU met under similar good form/poor form circumstances in 2010 with Dallas coming out on top, 3-1, on August 14.

100: Matches played by Kenny Cooper in his two stints with FC Dallas. Fitting that in the milestone match his perfectly struck penalty kick was the equalizer in their draw with Portland. It was Cooper’s 42nd goal in his FC Dallas career and it also broke a streak of penalty kick struggles for FCD.

34: Was the streak of matches without converting a penalty for FC Dallas before Kenny Cooper beat Donovan Ricketts Wednesday. Brek Shea scored on a spot kick April 28, 2012. The last four PK’s awarded to FCD were missed or saved and taken by four different individuals (Perez, Benitez, Ferreira and Cooper).

0: Goals scored by D.C. United on the road this season, the only MLS team yet to score on the opponents ground. In four road matches, DCU has been outscored 6-0. The only point they earned on the road was a goalless draw with New York in March.

7: Home games will have been played by FC Dallas after their meeting with D.C. United. The schedule has certainly helped FC Dallas in their league best start with only four road games so far, but it starts to even out now. Beginning with next Saturday’s trip to Seattle, nine of the next 14 league matches for FCD will be played on the road.

44: Points taken from the last 27 matches for FC Dallas. All of those were played since the return of David Ferreira to the field last July 4. “El Torito” may or may not be able to go after tweaking a hamstring Wednesday night. In 17 matches without Ferriera last season, FCD only earned 14 points.

37: Minutes played by Eric Hassli Wednesday against Portland, easily his most in six substitute appearances for FC Dallas this year. The fitness for the recently turned 32-year-old is definitely improving and after subbing in for the injured Ferreira, he may be called upon for even more of a workload depending on Ferreira’s status.

4: Saves by D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid in his last four games. Unfortunately for him and United, he has seen 16 shots on goal, so that is 12 goals allowed by DCU in the last four contests. Hence comments after Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to Houston from D.C. head coach Ben Olsen saying, “we’re just giving teams goals.”

12: Goals in Dwayne De Rosario’s career against FC Dallas. Last August 29, De Rosario became the seventh player in MLS history to score at least 100 goals. De Rosario has been stuck on 100 since the historic goal against New York Red Bulls. De Rosario played only one more game last season after that before a season-ending knee injury and he has yet to open his account in six matches played in 2013.